Best places to travel in November 2016

What does November have in store for eager travellers? Choose your November adventure with these recommendations from our destination experts.

Goa

With amazing seafood, sunshine, clear stretches of gorgeous beaches and greenery, Goa is a haven for visitors. Come November and it sees a huge number of film, theatre and media-related celebrities coming to attend the annual International Film Festival of India. Held in Panjim, international movies are screened in a number of theatres in the capital city, and interesting cardboard cut-outs, fairy lights and food stalls lend a festive atmosphere to Panjim during this time. It’s a better time to visit before the mad rush of December begins.

Hong Kong

The summer rains have gone, and the mercury has dropped (slightly), making November the perfect time to strap on your hiking boots and hit the trail. Mountain tops barely peek above Hong Kong’s iconic skyscraper-studded skyline, hinting at the hundreds of kilometres of wild trails waiting to be explored just beyond the hum of the city.
The gutsy can enter the Oxfam Trailwalker (oxfamtrailwalker.org.hk; 18-20 November). This annual 48-hour endurance challenge covers the MacLehose Trail, a 100km undulating strip that tiptoes along the ridges of the New Territories and descends down to some of Hong Kong’s best beaches, as well as the unusual rock formations of the Unesco-listed Global Geopark.

You can’t beat the sensory experience of New York City in November. The smell of roasted chestnuts rises up from food carts on every street corner, piercing the cool autumnal air with their pungent sweetness. Fallen leaves crunch underfoot with each step.

The holiday markets at Bryant Park, Union Square, Columbus Circle and Grand Central Terminal open at various times throughout the month, as do ice-skating rinks at Bryant Park and Rockefeller Center. Take some time to wander through these warrens of vendor stalls and admire the handiwork on offer, ranging from jewellery and clothing to art, and then sample some of the seasonal culinary delights on display. Each market offers a different setting and allows you to soak up the atmosphere of this city at its most sparkly and alluring.

Truffles, handmade pasta and freshly pressed olive oil… Tuscany is brimming with fresh produce in November and is best experienced at the region’s many food festivals.

The first of November marks the beginning of wild boar hunting season and the rich meat finds its way into a variety of Tuscan stews and pastas. Alternatively, sample hand-rolled Bringoli – a pasta traditionally topped with meatless ragù – at the Feast of San Martino. Olive harvesting and pressing also starts this month. Get involved at local farms and celebrate at the Olive Oil Festival in Montemurlo.

Head out onto Lake Tana’s waters

Image courtesy: Flickr/Marc Veraart/CC BY-ND 2.0

Northern Ethiopia

Cobalt blue skies loom large in the Ethiopian highlands during November, making the perfect travel companion for historical explorations, mountain treks and an incredible cultural celebration.
Head out onto Lake Tana’s waters from Bahir Dar to visit more than a dozen sacred monasteries; sip a perfect macchiato in Gonder before wandering through 16th-century castles and palaces; and descend into a world frozen in stone at Lalibela, the site of 11 spellbinding rock-hewn churches.

AUTHOR'S BIO: This article was first published at www.lonelyplanet.com